Take the biblical approach to this: when you hear about SBC transparency, see that ye be not troubled. It’s not going to happen.
But allow me to sally forth and tilt once again against the non-transparency windmill: I commend herewith respected pastor Andrew Hebert, whose Baptist Press article included this point:
If our cooperative work if going to succeed, we need a new commitment to integrity in our leadership and transparency about our leadership. We need to make sure the windows are open and the light is shining into how we do our business. Transparency builds trust. The old admonition is wise: Tell the truth and trust the people. I believe when our Southern Baptist people have the right information, they tend to make the right decisions. When we are open and transparent about leadership decisions, how we steward financial resources, and how we are doing as we seek to care for the abused and protect the most vulnerable in our churches, we earn trust credibility for the ministry work the Lord has called us to complete.
The “new commitment” would be a first time commitment. We’ve never given anything but lip service to transparency.
What Hebert writes we’ve seen before from SBC leaders but when it comes time to take any meaningful steps toward transparency, nothing happens. Trustees will ignore, order a second dessert on their SBC expense account, and pontificate about why we cannot possibly be transparent.
The SBC oligarchy likes transparency in general, just not with any specifics.
Our Grand Convention is systemically, structurally, preferentially, consistently, and haplessly OPAQUE, not transparent.
To wit:
- You will find executive level compensation reported…uh…nowhere.
- Our entity responsible for cooperation, the SBC Executive Committee has now had three consecutive failed leaders. Any word on what severance, exit agreements, future compensation any of these will receive? Nope.
- One entity leader retired and was given a million dollar severance which, I freely acknowledge, was a revenue neutral matter and was repaid after that became public. My complaint is that the arrangement was made by a single trustee and kept secret from other trustees. ONE trustee? Egad!
- The used-to-be world’s largest seminary, our own SWBTS, has had two consecutive failed leaders. Although they released an unprecedented amount of information about past finances, there are still many unanswered questions about their finances and obligations. But, ask for an espresso next time you’re on campus.
- You remember the one about the sealed records of the most significant SBC task force in my lifetime, the Great Commission Resurgence group? Those records were locked tight for 15 years. The exalted brethren, we were lectured, couldn’t expect to discuss things frankly if their words were to be made public. Hey, we are just around the corner from the end of that period, 2025. Will they be made public?
- This is an endless buffet. You can make your own list.
I have heard more voices recently call for SBC entities to publish records equivalent to IRS Form 990 reports. Not a bad idea. A snowball’s chance in Gehenna of that happening.
But read Hebert’s article linked above. If Andrew Hebert runs for something and is serious about transparency, I’d vote for him. But, realistically, no one tells entity trustees what to do, often not even Jesus.